Gallery: The Bizarre and Grisly World of Forensics Training
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Spectral cameras detect residual biological material (blood, semen, etc.) invisible to the naked eye. They can also test the age of the material.
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Thermal imaging cameras show heat signatures or heat concentrations. A cup of coffee will leave a heat signature on a table after it is removed. Bodies also leave heat signatures.
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A student recording the actions of the perpetrator using a motion capture suit which renders movement in 3-D. These animations are used to reconstruct crimes without the need for the physical presence of the perpetrator.
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A man with a knife in his back. All of the 'corpses' are actors made to look like dead bodies.
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For this victim, what appears to be a head wound is actually the result of the body having lain in a pool of blood.
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Under the guidance of an expert, students are taught how to photographically document a victim and perform a medical/forensic inspection.
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Students learning how to collect fingerprints from prepared specimens. The hands are from people who have donated their remains to science.
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Skin being removed from the fingertips for fingerprint identification (dactyloscopy).
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Dummies ready to be used as victims at simulated crime scenes.
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Forensic weapon analysis at the Ossendrecht Police Academy.
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Fire Investigation. Documenting the 'virgin' (untouched) scene is crucial. Before the actual investigation is started and things get moved around, every detail is meticulously photographed.
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Fires break out in several specially prepared homes. For every new training session all the walls, ceilings and floors are completely refinished. The whole interior is adapted to a desired scenario and specific trace evidence is left. The domestic fires are set by the instructor who keeps a close eye on the behavior of the fire. After sufficient fire patterns have emerged, the fire is extinguished.
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After having been taught the theory of investigating vehicle fires, students get to set fire to cars themselves. Students observe as the fires evolve and fire patterns emerge. When the vehicles have cooled down sufficiently, students investigate each other's cars.
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Students examine the debris layer by layer to determine the order in which these layers have collapsed before conclusions can be drawn. Combined with the fire patterns and heat indicators, evidence seems to point to the fire starting in the back seat.
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Under the supervision of the Netherlands Forensic Institute, students of the Police Academy are taught how to locate and excavate bodies. These bodies are actually plastic skeletons which were buried together with animal meat three months prior.
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Members of the Police Academy in Ossendrecht practice recovering victims from a disaster area for identification.
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Forensic researchers investigating a simulated crime scene where a person has been killed with a firearm at the Ossendrecht Police Academy.
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Members of the Police Academy in Ossendrecht training for a crime scene investigation after a car bomb attack.
